U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,683 discloses a receptacle, comprising a housing having a dispensing end and a pivotal cover at the dispensing end. Spring means in the housing presses the stack of shaped bodies, such as tablets, towards the dispensing end to place sequential uppermost shaped bodies of the stack into a dispensing position. A flexible plastic spring is formed on part of the plastic housing at the dispensing end thereof and is thus located at the interior of the pivotal cover for biasing the latter into closed position. The cover has a portion for pushing the uppermost shaped body and dispensing it from the receptacle when the cover is pivoted against the spring bias. Since the spring for biasing the cover is, according to the patent, a complex shape integrally molded to the housing at the interior of the dispensing end thereof, the manufacture of these receptacles is correspondingly more expensive.
It is also known to make the cover in the shape of a head or to attach to the cover a cap in the shape of a head so that the cap is integral with, and pivots with, the cover. Such caps are used to provide the receptacle with a toy-like quality and may be formed of rubbery material which is pliable to the touch.
The prior art receptacle shown in FIG. 5 has a curled leaf spring 19', integrally molded to the housing 1' at the dispensing end of the housing 1'. The leaf spring 19' and a cam 20' integrally molded at the interior of the cover 11' cooperate to bias the cover 11' into its closed position. The cap 16' of the prior art, has a skirt 18' with front portion 18b' and side portions 18c' and 18d', respectively, for covering only the front and sides of the cover 11'. Skirt 18' has an opening 21', at the rear, in registry with the opening at the rear of the cover 11', so as to provide clearance for the cover 11' to pivot with respect to the housing 1'. The cap 16' of the prior art is thus totally non-functional and is used only for the purpose of providing a toy-like appearance.